Chapter 1 A Vaughn.

~Zhavira~

Five hours.

It had been five hours of shivering, of looking at everyone around the ice rink, laughing and enjoying themselves.  And five hours of waiting for Jamiel to arrive.

I checked my phone, hoping to see a message. Or anything that can possibly break the cycle of hoping and getting that hope shattered.

“Miss, we’ll be closing soon.” One of the staff approached me, her gaze momentarily drifting to the two ice skates I’d rented.

“Oh! Uhm… I’ll just wait for another five minutes.” I said and smiled, knowing fairly well how awkward it must have looked as she smiled the same kind.

A minute after she was gone when I sighed and messaged Jamiel. A long list of messages I’d sent flashed before my eyes. And I was about to add another on.

Me: The rink is closing. Can you still make it?

My hands that had gone rigid from the cold made it harder for me to type. But more so did the weight inside my chest.

My phone beeped and I hoped it was a reply from him… how I’d desperately hoped to read the words my mind had crafted with hope…

[Dinner with my handsome hockey ace tomorrow!]

I froze.

The dinner plans. Of course, I had scheduled another dinner with him tomorrow.

I rubbed my hand on my leg, while I dialed his number with the other. I paced as the call rang for a couple of seconds before the automatic mechanical voice said it would take me to his voicemail.

But I didn’t want to leave a voicemail. I wanted for him to answer and give me a reason or an excuse. Anything.

Why had he cancelled every single plan he’d agreed to before?

Why was he MIA on every date we had planned?

And most of all, why had he not shown himself on the one outing he had suggested himself?

I redialled his number, my eyes catching the staff glancing at me, and whispering something to each other.

One ring. Two rings. And the third before the call finally connected.

For a second, silence stretched on the other line, making my pulse sound louder in my ears. Then…

A woman’s voice, sweet and breathy, calling out Jamiel’s name. The loud slapping of skin blended with her moans before she called his name once more.

My phone slipped from my hands and fell with a thud beside my feet, resonating with the sound of something breaking inside of me.

What did I just hear? Was he watching something indecent again? I chuckled to myself. Hot tears welled on the sides of my eyes as my shoulders bobbed up and down.

“M-ma’am? Are you alright? You dropped your phone.” The same staff who approached me earlier came up to me, and picked my phone of the ground.

I sucked in a deep breath, hoping to relieve the pain building up in my chest. And when I looked at her, she gave me back my phone. My eyes must have looked bloodshot because of the concern written all over her face.

“Yes,” my voice trembled. I had to swallow the lump before resuming. “I’m sorry for making you wait.” I picked up the ice skates and pushed it towards her. “I’ll return these. Thank you.”

That was all I said before bolting out of the place. I didn’t want them to see my tears. And I didn’t want anyone to see me break down. It wasn’t really a nice sight, and I’d only embarrass myself in the end.

Lightning struck somewhere outside, then followed by an ear-splitting thunder. Rain drops hit the building’s glass door and streamed down. I wiped my cheeks, my palms getting wet with my tears.

Great. Even the sky had the sympathy to cry with me. But the one who did me wrong didn’t even try to call me back.

Had he grown so tired of me that he would let me hear him make love to another woman?

Was I really that easy to replace?

I couldn’t stop a sob from coming out, and I hated how it made the tears pour harder. The indescribable weight felt like it would drag me underground, straight to my grave.

But even then, a smile spread to my face. Turning into short bursts of laughter.

“This is so ridiculous.” I muttered to myself and took a step forward.

The automatic doors opened and the cold wind slammed into me, slipping in from the small gaps of my sweater and biting into my skin.

The huge rain droplets made me shiver harder. I didn’t bring an umbrella. My stupid ass had been so excited earlier to remember the weather forecast I explicitly checked.

I hadn’t taken ten steps when someone had blocked my way. Leather shoes stood in my path, dark at the edges from the rain’s onslaught. But it wasn’t making me get any more wet.

“Miss Russo.” The owner of the shoes called, his voice husky and low.

I lifted my gaze and saw the brightest and most beautiful icy blues staring straight at me. It was strange. Up until now, Jamiel was the only man who’d really made me lose myself just by looking at his eyes.

“Who are you?”

I took a step back, feeling the rain drops soaking me entirely. But the stranger didn’t let me get even more wet and took a step closer.

“Don’t come closer!” I swung my bag at him, but he evaded with one swift movement.

“Calm down, Miss Russo. I’m not going to do anything.”

My lips were sealed shut. If he meant his words, then he’d go away after seeing my glare. Instead, the damned man grabbed my arm and pulled me so that we were both under his umbrella.

“My name is Calix,” he introduced, switching his gaze from both of my eyes. “Calix Vaughn.”

I flinched. Now that I looked at him… really looked at him. He had almost the same eyes. The same sharpness around his features.

He was a Vaughn.